A Little Bit Longer
by Don'tForgetTheNotes
Summary: In this 3rd installment of the Incoming/Forever after series. Lauren and Joe are eagerly awaiting the birth of their 3rd child, Brian and Meredith are waiting for the day they can take Sami home and someone else has only just found out their expecting... Contains Laurwalk, Breredith, Donoblim and Joime :')
1. Babies Come In Threes

_A/N: Time for the third and final installment in the Incoming/Forever series!_

_I do not own the characters, they are based on members of Team StarKid. Any relationships implied are purely for the sake of the story!_

_Enjoy! _

* * *

Lauren unbuckled her seatbelt as Joe pulled the car to a stop. She kissed him goodbye before opening the door. It was just after New Year so the January cold wind whipped around her and sent sheets of cold rain into the car.

"Text me when you want picking up."

"I will."

She smiled at him before getting out and closing the door behind her. Lauren watched Joe drive away before turning back to the apartment building she was stood in front of. She was going to Julia and Jaime's for a girls' night in, Denise was coming too and Lauren was excited to spend some time with the girls. It might be the last time before the baby was born as she only had two weeks left before the due date.

She had just been about to go inside when she noticed someone walking towards her, it was Denise. Lauren waited for her but became instantly concerned when she saw how soaked through Denise was.

"Denise how far have you walked?"

"Just from the subway."

"Did you not have an umbrella?"

"No, it's not raining that bad."

Lauren pulled Denise into the building and out of the cold rain. It was raining really badly and as they walked through the foyer of Julia and Jaime's building, Lauren could see Denise was shivering. They walked towards the elevator and up to the right floor. Lauren glanced at Denise as they went up, she was staring down at the ground and seemed to be refusing to look at her. Over the past month or so something had changed about Denise, she was so quiet and seemed to be avoiding them all. It had taken them all of them texting her to get her to finally agree to come tonight.

"Are you okay Denise?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"We've just barely seen you over the past few weeks."

"Well I've been busy."

Before Lauren could answer this, the elevator doors opened and Denise quickly walked out. Lauren slowly followed her with a frown on her face. She wondered what Denise was busy with as, after talking with the dance studio Denise worked at, she knew she'd been calling in 'sick' for some of her classes.

They made it to the right apartment and by the time Lauren had arrived, Denise already knocked on the door. Lauren was trying to think of something to say but before she could, Jaime opened the door.

"Hey girls! Come in!"

She stepped aside and Lauren and Denise walked in. Denise led them into the sitting room where Julia was already sat. Lauren watched as Denise quickly took off her coat and sat down.

"I can take your coat Denise."

"No, I'm okay."

Lauren frowned as she took off her coat and gave it to Jaime as she offered to take it away. She rubbed her hand over her large bump as the baby kicked before sitting down with a sigh. She turned and smiled at Julia as she coughed slightly.

"Are you still feeling the baby move?"

"Yep! They like kicking me…a lot."

Jaime smiled as she came back into the room and saw Lauren rubbing her bump happily. She was so happy she and Joe had been able to work through their problems so that their new baby was coming into a family where the parents couldn't be closer. Her eyes came to rest on Denise and her brow furrowed as she saw Denise was averting her eyes from them whilst playing with her hands.

"Are you okay Denise?"

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Well you don't seem it."

She held her breath as Denise finally looked up at her. Jaime felt her stomach turn slightly as she saw how worried and scared Denise looked. Her eyes were shimmering and she was opening and closing her mouth as if she was trying to find the words to say something.

"I'm pregnant."

And with that Denise burst into tears. Lauren didn't think before pulling her friend into a tight hug. Julia and Jaime quickly followed and no one said anything for a moment. She was pregnant, was this why she was so upset? Finally, Lauren pulled away from her and looked into her eyes.

"Come on Deeds don't cry."

She tried to wipe Denise's tears away but she brushed her hand away. Lauren glanced at Julia and Jaime and frowned. Denise wiped her own tears and looked up at her friends.

"I'm not ready to have a baby."

Denise looked up as Lauren laughed and rubbed her arm.

"Sweetie, do you think I was ready to have a baby when I first found out I was pregnant with the twins?"

She looked around at the others as they nodded in agreement. Denise hadn't thought about that. She smiled sheepishly at her friends as they pulled her into a tight hug. Denise felt so strange, she was kind of excited to be pregnant but the whole thought was just making her panic so much, could she have a baby? It had never been anything she'd really thought about. Her attention was brought back to reality when Lauren slowly stood up.

"Have you taken a pregnancy test?"

"Yeah, a few days ago."

"Have you told Jeff?"

Her breath caught at this as Julia spoke. Denise hadn't told Jeff. She'd tried to but it felt like she couldn't speak when she had done. It seemed her prolonged silence made the girls realise that she hadn't told Jeff. There was silence for a moment before Julia took her hand.

"You need to tell him."

"I know but how do you sneak it into a conversation?"

"You can't, you have to sit Jeff down and tell him."

She sighed at this and closed her eyes. Denise knew she had to tell him and they would have to sit down and talk about it but she was scared. It all felt so overwhelming and she didn't know if she could deal with it.

"I don't know if I want to keep it or not."

Julia tried not to gasp at this. Denise was such a caring person and by just being herself Julia knew she would make a great mom. She watched as Denise stood up and paced around the room before looking back at them.

"Guys I don't know what to do."

"Well before you think too far down the line you have to tell Jeff. The decision on what you do is just as much his as it is yours."

She slowly stood up as Denise's head drooped and she sniffed loudly. Julia pulled her into a tight hug and Denise was quick to wrap her arms around her tightly.

"It's okay to be scared. Heck you can't be more scared than Lauren was."

"Hey!"

They both looked over Julia's shoulder as Lauren shouted. Julia turned back to see Denise was smiling. She helped her back to the sofa and they sat down in between Jaime and Lauren. They four squashed together on the sofa and watched TV for a moment.

There was a relaxed atmosphere in the air but Julia got the feeling that the next few months wouldn't be so easy but as she looked at her friends as they all gazed happily at the TV she didn't have the heart to bring them up now. Finally it was time for Lauren and Denise to leave and Julia and Jaime were seeing them out. Julia hugged them both before holding Denise at arms' length.

"Now will you tell Jeff?"

"Yeah, I'll go and tell him tomorrow."

She pulled Denise into another tight hug before letting her and Lauren leave and closing the door behind them.

Lauren took Denise's hand as they walked towards the elevator. She turned to her and smiled slightly as the got into the elevator and went down to the ground floor.

"So my little Deeds is expecting!"

She smiled as Denise laughed loudly before sighing slightly. Lauren wanted to make sure Denise kept happy as Lauren knew how important that was during times like this. They reached the ground floor and walked out into the lobby.

"How are you getting home?"

"I'm taking the bus to Jeff's."

"No you are not, Joe and I can give you a lift."

Denise had been about to protest but Lauren beat her to it and insisted once more until Denise finally gave in. Lauren pulled her out into the cold and the rain but they weren't out for long before they were getting into Joe's car. As Lauren had suspected, Joe happily agreed to give Denise a lift. They dropped Denise at Jeff's house and made sure she got in before heading back home. The twins were currently in Michigan with Lauren's parents as there was some concern that Lauren would go into labour early so they wanted to make sure the twins were properly looked after should she go into unexpected labour.

They finally made it home and up to their apartment. Joe glanced at Lauren as they made it inside and Lauren went to sit down on the sofa. She had been so quiet the whole way home, when Denise had been in the car she had been quiet too.

"Are you okay Lo?"

He held his breath as she slowly turned to look at him.

"You remember us talking about how pregnancies always come in threes?"

* * *

_A/N: Hope you liked it! Leave a review!_

_Bye!_


	2. Couples

_A/N: Sorry it's been a while! Hope you like this!_

_starkid3ever: I hope you like this!_

_: Aww hehe well thank you for reading my stories!_

_Starkidsforever: Yaaaaaaay!_

_P0tterFanatic: Hehehehe :D_

_starkidllamas-llama: I know right?! :D_

_iwanttobeamoderndancer: Eeeee thank you!_

_I do not own the characters, they are based on members of Team StarKid. Any relationship implied is purely for the sake of the story._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Lauren jumped awake and sat up. She'd been having a horrible dream in which a hooded figure had taken the twins and she'd been trying to get them back but it was like they had disappeared. She stared around the room for a moment as her heart rate returned to normal. Joe sighed in his sleep beside her and she turned to look at him. Lauren knew it had just been a dream but she couldn't shake the sickening feeling in her stomach. What if something had happened to the girls? They felt so far away and she missed them.

Finally, she stood up, grabbed her phone and shuffled out of the room. Lauren slowly walked down the hallway and into the twins' room. The room, like the rest of the apartment was so quiet. She walked over to Katelyn's cribs and picked up her quilt, Lauren held it up to her face and breathed in Katelyn's smell that was still on the material whilst closing her eyes. Lauren kept her eyes closed as she felt her eyes filling with tears. In the next second she was sitting down on the floor, still clutching at the quilt and pulling her phone out of her pocket. She dialled a number and held the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey mom."

"Lauren do you know what time it is?"

She bit her lip as she listened to her mom complain. Why had Lauren called her? She was still so worried after that dream or rather nightmare. Lauren took a deep breath before finally answering.

"I'm sorry it's so late. I just wanted to check the twins are okay."

"Of course they are. You saw them on Skype a few hours and they went to sleep soon after that."

"I know but can you check on them please."

She closed her eyes as her mom grumbled whilst standing up and walking to the girls' room. Lauren rested her hand on her large bump as the baby kicked. She listened to her mom breathe as she walked along and finally heard her stop.

"They're both fine…sweetie what's the matter? You sound so worried."

"I just had a bad dream about losing the girls."

Lauren snuggled into Katelyn's quilt and leant against the chest of drawers. She swallowed and felt a lump in her throat. She knew they were okay now but then why did she still feel so worried? All she wanted to do was hug her two little girls, she knew the new baby could come at any time but she'd do anything if it meant she could see them sooner.

"Why don't you and Joe come to Michigan for the weekend to see them?"

Her breath caught at this. Go and see them? That was what she wanted but with being so close to the baby's due date they would be cutting it fine. Lauren fiddled with the quilt for a moment before sighing.

"But mom, the baby could come at any time and I want to be near the hospital."

"Babies don't always come on time Lauren, you may even go over."

"Oh don't say that mom!"

She smiled as her mom laughed. Maybe it would do them good to go on a road trip and see the twins. Lauren held the silence for a moment more before taking a deep breath.

"Okay, I'll ask Joe and see what he thinks and then I'll call you later today."

"All right sweetie, talk to you soon."

She ended the call and sat on the floor for a moment before slowly pulling herself to her feet. After carefully folding up Katelyn's quilt and putting it back into her crib, Lauren walked back to her own room. As she crawled back into bed Joe opened his eyes and squinted at her.

"Are you okay?"

Joe rubbed his eyes as Lauren snuggled down under the bedcovers and smiled at him. He returned her smile before pulling her into his arms. He sighed sleepily whilst stroking her hair.

"I was just on the phone with my mom."

"At this time?"

"I was worried about the twins."

He opened his eyes and looked down at Lauren. Joe missed the twins so much, it was so strange not having them around and they hadn't even been gone that long. They sat in silence for a moment before he looked back at Lauren as she coughed slightly.

"Erm, my mom's invited us to go to Michigan this weekend so we can see Rosie and Katelyn."

He thought about this, it would be amazing to see his little girls again. Joe kissed Lauren on the head thoughtfully, if they went this weekend they were still before the due date and the baby might not come early.

"Why don't we do it?

He smiled as Lauren looked up at him, her eyes gleaming. Joe leant down and kissed her gently before slowly pulling away. He looked up at the ceiling as Lauren snuggled into the crook of his neck and yawned.

"I'll call my mom in the morning."

Joe smiled more as Lauren spoke. They lay in each other's arms in a happy silence and it wasn't long before they were both falling asleep again.

* * *

Meredith finished brushing her hair and couldn't help but smile at her reflection. They were hopefully bringing Sami home today. Finally, after all these weeks! She'd spent her first Christmas in hospital but none of that mattered now as today, she would finally be home where she belonged. Meredith walked out of her bedroom with a large smile on her face and into the sitting room where Brian was. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Are you ready?"

She nodded and picked up the diaper bag which they had already packed ready. Brian beamed at her as he picked up the baby carrier and they grabbed their coats. They left the apartment and soon were out in the cold January morning.

"How do we put the carrier in?"

She frowned as she came round to the same side of the car Brian was on. He had been trying to put the carrier in for nearly ten minutes now. Meredith looked at all the straps and plastic holdings before pulling the seat belt round. Somehow, she managed to get it strapped in and smiled at Brian.

"Beginner's luck."

"Sure it was."

Brian shook his head whilst smiling as he closed the door and walked around to the driver's seat. Meredith got in the back seat as the carrier was in the front and soon they were ready to go. They set off in an excited silence.

In what felt like no time, they were at the hospital and walking through what had become the familiar corridors towards the NICU. Finally, they made it to the ward and went inside. Brian followed Meredith as she eagerly walked down the ward towards Sami's incubator. Sami really had grown in the weeks she'd been here and she'd now reached a weight and size that the doctors were happy with. Brian held his breath as he watched Meredith carefully opened the incubator and picked Sami up.

"Hi Sami, are you ready to come home?"

He put down the carrier and walked closer to Meredith and Sami. She was still smaller than a normal baby her age but she was doing well. Brian watched as Sami opened her large blue eyes and gazed up at Meredith. They stood like that for a moment before a doctor came over.

"We just want to go through some forms with you before you take her."

* * *

Denise opened her eyes as she heard Jeff sigh in his sleep. She sat up and looked down at him, she hadn't told him last night that she was pregnant. It would be easier once she had told but it felt so hard to do so. She was so deep in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Jeff had woken up until she felt his hand on her arm.

"You're awake early."

She tried to smile as she lay back down and looked at him. Jeff was smiling at her but she got the feeling that he knew something was wrong as this smile slowly faded and he slowly sat up.

"Are you okay Deeds?"

She took a deep breath as she sat up again but didn't look at Jeff. Denise felt him take her hand and squeeze it. Finally, she looked up at him and gazed at him for a moment.

"Jeff, there's something I need to tell you."

Denise swallowed as Jeff's face fell even more as he stared at her. Why was this so hard? She looked down at their entwined hands for a moment and took a deep breath.

"I'm…I'm pregnant."

Jeff's mind went blank at this. He had not been expecting that at all. Sure there had been times where they had slipped up on protection but he'd never given it much thought…until now. He looked back at Denise and found she was staring at him wide eyed. Jeff was shocked but he was quickly feeling overjoyed. A baby. A little baby all of their own.

A large smile suddenly spread across Jeff's face. He looked back at Denise and found she suddenly looked relived as she looked back at him. Jeff suddenly pulled her into a big him and kissed her on her head.

"So a little baby then."

"Yeah."

He smiled as he hugged her tighter and closed his eyes. However with his eyes closed, he didn't see how Denise's face fell...

* * *

_A/N: See you around!_

_Bye!_


	3. New Adventures

_A/N: I think I'm more carrying this on for myself but hey ho I like it._

_P0tterFanatic: Wait and see and hehe thank you!_

_starkidllamas-llama: Well I hope you like it!_

_I do not own the characters, they are based on members of Team StarKid. Any relationships are purely for the sake of the story._

_Enjoy_

* * *

Brian carried Sami into the kitchen and yawned. Their first night of having Sami home hadn't exactly been smooth sailing, Sami had cried for most of the night and they had barely slept but Brian was so happy to have her home. He turned the bottle warmer on and rocked her in his arms as he waited. She was finally quiet now as she gazed up at him.

"Now you'll have to bear with us whilst we get used to what's gonna make you happy but I promise to always be here to look out for you, especially when all those boys start chasing after you."

He smiled to himself as Sami opened and closed her eyes. Brian turned back to the bottle warmer as it beeped and pulled the bottle out. He held it to Sami's little mouth and smiled as she began to hungrily drink.

"You're a natural already."

He looked up and saw Meredith was stood in the doorway. Brian smiled and laughed slightly before looking back at Sami. Meredith came over to them and ruffled Sami's hair before kissing Brian on the lips. She giggled slightly before walking back over to the doorway.

"I'll go and get the Moses basket."

Meredith smiled as Brian nodded before leaving the room. She was tired but she would never sleep again if it meant she got to see Sami every day. This thought made Meredith beam as she almost skipped down the hall.

She was soon back in the kitchen with the Moses basket and they had placed Sami in it. After her bottle, she was quickly drifting off to sleep. Meredith set about making breakfast for her and Brian and she couldn't be happier. She glanced up as her cell started ringing. Meredith walked over to it and frowned as she saw it was Denise.

"Hey De are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine, I was just wondering if we could meet up for lunch or something today."

She fiddled with her hair for a moment. Denise didn't sound herself at all. Meredith was instantly worried. She had been about to answer when Sami's cries filled the air. Brian was fussing over her but she was having none of it.

"You know I'd love to Deeds but we just brought Sami home yesterday and it's kinda a two person job looking after her right now."

"Oh yeah I understand. It was just I wanted to talk but it doesn't matter."

"Are you sure?"

She asked but Meredith was already sure that Denise wasn't happy that they couldn't meet up. Meredith felt terrible but right now she did have to think of her baby. She glanced at Brian as he picked up a still crying Sami and rocked her in his arms.

"Yeah it's fine, talk to you later."

And with that Denise put the phone down. Meredith bit her lip for a moment and was on the verge of calling Denise back when Brian brought Sami over and hand her to Meredith. In an attempt to get Sami to quieten down, the thought to call back Denise left her mind.

* * *

Joe drank the last of his coffee before standing up and rinsing out his mug. He looked around as Lauren walked into the room, with a smile Joe walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. Lauren sighed happily as she nestled her head into Joe's shoulder.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay travelling?"

"I'll be fine."

He smiled as Lauren looked up at him with a large smile lighting up her face. Joe gazed at her for a moment before kissing her softly. They stayed in each other's arms for a moment more before finally parting. They put their coats on and Joe picked up their overnight bag. He took her hand and they slowly walked out to the street.

They got in the car and were soon on their way. Joe kept his eyes on the road but glanced at Lauren as she sighed slightly. She had her head leant against the side of the car and her eyes were closed.

"Are you okay Lolo?"

"Yeah, I just can't get comfortable."

He smiled as she looked across at him. Joe stretched his hand across the space and held Lauren's hand. They drove in silence for a while before Lauren turned on the radio. Joe trapped his fingers along to the beat as they came to a grinding halt in the traffic.

"We're doing the right thing, aren't we Joe? It's not cutting it too close to the due date is it?"

"We'll be fine Lo. As long as you keep relaxed everything will be okay."

Lauren smiled at this, she did just have to relax. She closed her eyes and squeezed Joe's hand. The car journey didn't feel long at all and she even managed to get some sleep. Finally, they were driving along streets so knew and past buildings she recognised. They pulled into her parents' driveway and Joe stopped the car. She took a deep breath before turning to look at Joe.

"Do you think they'll be happy to see us?"

She thought this over for a moment. Her parents hadn't told Rosie and Katelyn that they were coming so Lauren was so excited to see their reactions. They got out of the car and Joe got their bag out of the trunk before they walked towards the front door. As they walked up the steps the door opened and Lauren's mom came out to greet them.

"Hi mom!"

"Hello sweetie."

She let her mom pull her into a large hug before pulling away and smiling at her. Her mom went on to hug Joe and Lauren slowly walked into the house. Lauren smiled as her dad appeared out of the sitting room carrying a rather sleepy looking Rosie.

"Look Roro! Who's that?"

She beamed as Rosie slowly looked up at her. Her eyes widened as she took in Lauren. Lauren walked towards them as Rosie lifted her hand up to her.

"Mama!"

Lauren reached them and hugged her dad before taking Rosie from him and hugging her tightly. She laughed as Rosie squealed happily before noticing Joe over her shoulder.

"Dada!"

Joe stepped forward and carefully took Rosie as she held her arms out to him. She put her small hand on his face and smiled widely.

"Have you missed us?"

"Yes!"

He smiled as Rosie wrapped her arms around his neck. Joe kissed her on the head before looking at Lauren. He was sure they had another daughter… As if on cue, Katelyn poked her head around the door of the sitting room. A large smile spread across her face as she saw who was now stood in the hallway. She ran out of the room and wrapped her arms around Lauren's legs. Joe watched as Lauren ruffled Katelyn's hair and smiled as she slowly looked up at her.

"Mama an dada no leave."

They walked into the sitting room and sat down. Lauren's mom fetched them drinks and Joe let Rosie sit on his lap and tell him all about what it was like playing in her grandparents' yard. It would be so nice to have a yard of their own… Joe watched Katelyn as she snuggled into Lauren's jacket and hid her face.

For a few hours they sat and talked before Lauren announced she was going to have a lay down. The only way for Katelyn to be happy with this was if Joe held her whilst Lauren was gone. It seemed Rosie had coped a lot better with Lauren and Joe being away than her sister had. Joe rubbed Katelyn's back as she yawned and her eyes began to droop. Rosie had taken to playing with her toy on the floor. Joe couldn't help but smile to himself as he talked with Lauren's parents. He was so happy they had decided to come for the weekend.

* * *

_A/N: So how is it?_


	4. Coping Skills

_A/N: Hey okay I'm sure this is short but it's because the chapters would just be really long but it'll start picking up after this one!_

_JillyLove: Aww hehe I love writing them :')_

_P0tterFanatic: Hehe but what will happen…and Denise needs to stay calm!_

_Iwanttobeamoderndancer: I hope you had a good Christmas and a good New Year! I am most certainly carrying this on :')_

_starkidllamas-llama: Hehe and well it's January in the story now and they were born in August so 17 months :D_

_CorySupporter: Aww hehe thank you!_

_I do not own the characters, they are based on members of Team StarKid. Any relationships implied are purely for the sake of the story._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Lauren looked around the bedroom and sighed happily. The room might not look as it did when she still lived here but as she looked out of the window, it was the same view. She looked towards the door as it slowly opened. Joe appeared and smiled at her.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, although somebody's moving around a lot."

She smiled as she rubbed her hand across her bump. Joe sat down next to her and held her hand for a moment. Lauren closed her eyes as Joe traced circles on her hand with his thumb. She opened her eyes as the sound of one of the twins crying floated into the room.

"We put them down for a nap but I don't think Katelyn was too happy."

She laughed before sitting up. Joe stood up so she could stand and they walked out of the room. They made it into the room the girls were sleeping in to find Lauren's mom was trying to comfort Katelyn. Katelyn instantly stopped crying when she saw her parents and held her arms out to Lauren. Lauren smiled before moving forward and taking her. She felt Joe move forward and support Katelyn too. People really did seem to think she couldn't do anything when she was pregnant.

"She really does love her mommy and daddy."

Joe smiled half-heartedly at Mrs Lopez as she spoke. Katelyn was still so clingy, he stroked Katelyn's hair and kissed her on her head. They stood like that for a moment before he felt Lauren pulling away and she carried Katelyn over to the sofa that was in the room. She lay Katelyn across her lap and smiled up at him. Katelyn seemed very happy she was now sat on her mom's lap and had stopped crying altogether.

"I think I'll stay in here and sit with her a little."

He nodded at this before turning to Mrs Lopez. They smiled at each other before leaving the room.

* * *

Denise paced around her apartment whilst fiddling with the sleeves on her jacket. Jeff was on his way to pick her up as they were going to the movies. She really didn't want to go out but she didn't want to let on to Jeff that something was wrong. Why should there be something wrong? They were having a baby, it wasn't the end of the world.

She looked up as there was a knock on the door. Jeff was here. Denise took a deep breath before walking towards the front door. She opened it and tried her hardest to smile as she was met by Jeff's large grin.

"Hey."

"Hi are you ready to go?"

"Yeah I just need to get my bag."

She let Jeff into the apartment and walking into the living room. Denise grabbed her bag off the sofa and checked she had everything before looking up at Jeff expectantly. He smiled at her before taking her hand and leading her out of the apartment. Denise locked the door behind them and they started walking towards the exit.

It was cold outside and Denise shrug back into her jacket. Her breath formed a cloud in the air around her and she couldn't help but shiver. Denise smiled as Jeff squeezed her hand, it was nice to be spending time with Jeff, even if she was so stressed on the inside.

They took the subway to the movie theatre and were soon queuing up to buy their tickets. They were going to see The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, it had been the only film they had been able to agree on…nothing new there then. Denise looked around the movie theatre as Jeff bought their tickets. It was fairly empty but it was a week day after all.

"Do you want any popcorn?"

"Sure."

Jeff nodded before walking over to the candy counter. He bought a tub of sweet popcorn and turned around to walk back to Denise. However something made him stop. Denise was staring at a couple who seemed to be debating over what film to see. The man was stood with his arms around the woman and his hands were resting on her round bump. She was pregnant. Jeff took a deep breath before slowly walking over to Denise. There was something different about her and it seemed to stem from the pregnancy.

"Are you ready to go in?"

It seemed Denise hadn't heard him coming and jumped as he spoke. She nodded and they headed over to their screen. They found their seats and sat down. Jeff offered the popcorn to Denise and she took a small handful. He wanted her to feel comfortable whilst she was pregnant. He didn't want anything to go wrong. Jeff glanced at Denise, she was staring at the screen but there was a vacant look in her eyes as if she wasn't really watching the film. He sighed, in that moment, Jeff swore to himself that he would do anything to make Denise happy.

The movie ended and they slowly left the theatre. Jeff stretched before looking at Denise. She wasn't looking at him but slowly looked up as he took her hand. He smiled at her and his heart lifted as he saw a genuine smile spread across her face.

"Do you want to grab a bite to eat?"

"Sure."

Jeff took her hand and was about to lead them to the diner next door but suddenly stopped and looked back at her. Denise seemed confused as she looked at him. He carefully unlaced their finger before wrapping his arms around her waist. Jeff tucked a piece of hair behind her ear before kissing her gently.

"It's going to be okay you know."

"I know but I'm just…scared."

Denise closed her eyes as Jeff pulled her into a tight hug and rubbed her back. Whether it was the pregnancy hormones or she was just overwhelmed she didn't know but a second later, tears were forming in her eyes. She sniffed which caused Jeff to pull away and look at her. He wiped away her tears and smiled slightly.

"How about we go back to yours and order takeout."

She laughed through her tears and nodded. Jeff took her hand and they started walking back towards the subway. Denise did feel better knowing they would be going home. The train ride home was quiet. It made Denise realise how tired she was so before long she was leaning her head on Jeff's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and smiled at her.

They made it back to her apartment and Denise instantly pulled out her pile of takeout menus. Denise managed to convince Jeff to get pizza and soon they were eagerly awaiting the delivery guy. Whilst they waited, Denise got them drinks, she got Jeff a beer and for herself she just stuck with water. She knew they would have to talk about the baby sometime and now felt as good of a time as any.

"So any early thoughts on if it's a boy or girl?"

She held her breath as Jeff froze whilst taking a sip of his beer. Jeff swallowed it before looking at her. Denise looked on at him intrigued as he seemed to think through the question.

"Erm, a boy would be good because you know we could do the typical father son thing and play baseball in the yard. However a little girl would be good too because she'd probably be a lot like you."

This made Denise's eyes widen. She hadn't been expecting him to say that. Denise looked away from him but couldn't hide her smile. She looked up as she heard a rustle and saw Jeff coming closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her and they sat back on the sofa.

"So you're not thinking this baby has made you stuck with me?"

She said it jokingly but it made her heart swell when Jeff genuinely looked shocked at her comment. He pressed his forehead to hers and took her face in his hand.

"Well you are a pretty incredible person to be stuck with."

Denise giggled and pecked Jeff on the lips. They stayed in each other's arms until their pizza arrived. As they ate they talked about the baby and what the next few months would bring. Denise did feel a little better, she was still finding it hard to connect to the fact that she was pregnant but at least she wasn't horrifically scared anymore. It was going to be okay.

* * *

_A/N: Okay so longer chapters from now on and the story will start to move along!_

_Bye!_


	5. Surprise

_A/N: Okay so this is all Laurwalk but it's so after this the story can move along!_

_P0tterFanatic: Yeah hehe :')_

_Iwanttobeamoderndancer: Aww thanks and haha imagine if he did! And I did :')_

_starkidllamas-llama: Hehe and no prob!_

_I do not own the characters, they are based on members of Team StarKid. Any relationships implied are purely for the sake of the story._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Joe smiled as he opened his eyes and saw Lauren fast asleep next to him. He sat up and rubbed his eyes before standing up and leaving the room. He walked through the quiet house to the bathroom. Once he was finished he walked back into the bedroom and got back in bed.

It was so relaxing being here. There really was a difference in the air between here and Chicago. Joe looked to his side as Lauren sighed in her sleep. He watched as she turned over before slowly opening her eyes. He smiled as a smiled stretched across her face.

"Good morning, you're awake early."

He laughed slightly as Lauren yawned and stretched. Joe kissed her lightly and wrapped his arms around her. Lauren sighed happily against him and there was silence for a moment.

"You know what would be really nice?"

Joe smiled and stroked Lauren's hair as she spoke. The morning winter sun was streaming in through the half open curtain and it was so nice and warm in their bed.

"What?"

"If you got my jacket out of the bag for me."

Lauren giggled as Joe looked at her ad sighed in exasperation. They looked at each other for a moment before Joe slowly got up and walked over to their bag. He knelt down and routed around in the bag.

"Which one do you want?"

"The grey zip hoodie."

She smiled as Joe muttered to himself whilst trying to find her jacket. Finally, after it seemed he wasn't finding it, she stood up and walked over to him.

"Look there it is!"

She pointed it out and laughed as Joe pulled it out. He looked up at her before wrapping his arms around her middle.

"You're just a little tease."

Lauren raised her eyebrows in surprise but suddenly held her breath as Joe kissed her bump before resting the side of his head on it. She slowly pulled her fingers through his hair and smiled slightly.

"Lauren, I don't tell you enough how thankful I am to you."

This surprised Lauren, why was Joe thankful to her? She paused for a moment before slowly kneeling down so she was level with Joe. She took his face in her hand and smiled at him.

"What are you thankful for?"

Joe placed his hand over hers before simply gazing at her. How could he not be thankful? It was two years since his life had taken a turn for the better. It had been two years since their first night together.

"I'm thankful that I get to call you my wife."

"I know right, I'm a real catch."

He could tell from her tone that she was joking but Joe was being serious. Lauren was perfect to him and he was the lucky guy who got to call her his wife and have children with her. Joe couldn't help but beam as he leant down and kissed her. He had come so close to losing her through his own stupid actions but they had worked through all of that and now they would live out the rest of their days together.

"I love you Lo."

"I love you too Walks."

* * *

The rest of the weekend past in a blur and soon they were all packed up and ready to head back home. Joe rubbed his hand across Lauren's large pregnancy bump and smiled. It had been great to spend the weekend with their girls and Lauren's parents. Lauren's eyes were shining brightly as she smiled back at him. Her fingers entwined with his and they stood still for a moment.

"Are we ready to go back?"

"I think so."

Lauren led the way out of her old bedroom and down the stairs with Joe following behind with their bag. The twins didn't seem to be too upset they were leaving; even Katelyn didn't seem that bothered. Lauren was a little put out by this, she was going to miss them so much and it seemed they didn't really care. Well they were less than 2 after all... She kissed them both on their heads before looking at her parents.

"Thanks again for looking after them."

"We'll take any excuse to spend time with our grandkids."

She smiled and hugged them both tightly before walking over to the door. Lauren frowned and looked back around as she sensed Joe wasn't following her. This was proven when she saw he was still stood by her parents.

"Hey Lo you can go out to the car, I'll be out in just a minute."

She carried on frowning at him and her parents who didn't seem confused as to why Joe was sending her out. They were planning something... Finally Lauren sighed and caught the keys Joe threw at her before leaving the house. She got in the car and watched the front door like a hawk for Joe. He stayed in there for five minutes before finally coming out. Joe got in the car without a word and smiled at her before starting the car. Lauren waited for him to give an explanation but as he started pulling down the driveway and her parents came out to wave them off, she knew she wasn't going to get one.

* * *

It was hours later when Lauren suddenly jumped awake as she heard Joe turn the ignition off. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. Wait...this wasn't outside their apartment, they weren't even in the city... They were parked outside a house that had a for sale sign on the front lawn. It was all so green and quiet. Lauren slowly turned to look at Joe to find he was watching her reaction.

"Joe, where are we?"

"Just the suburbs of Chicago."

"Why?"

Joe was suddenly nervous. He was worried he might not even get her in the house but this just seemed like the perfect one.

"Well with the new baby on the way, we can't keep renting that small apartment and this house just came on the market and it seems perfect for us."

He smiled and finally Lauren slowly nodded but she was still deeply frowning. Joe got out of the car and heard Lauren doing the same. He joined her on the sidewalk and took her hand before leading her up the path to the front door. Joe knocked and the door was opened almost instantly by a friendly looking woman in her thirties.

"Hello! You must be Mr and Mrs Walker. Come in!"

She showed them into the house and shut the door behind them. The realtor introduced herself as Maria and was quick to show them around the house. It was breathtaking. There was a large sitting room with an archway that led into the dining room. The kitchen was a lot bigger than their current kitchen and the window looked out onto the house's backyard. As they walked around, Joe watched Lauren. She seemed engrossed with what Maria was saying but Joe noticed she was fiddling with her hands a lot more than she normally would.

Upstairs there was a spacious family bathroom and three bedrooms, the master bedroom even had an ensuite. It was everything they could possibly want. Finally, they were stood in the room that would be the new baby's room

"I'll leave you guys to decide."

Lauren smiled at Maria before watching her leave. She walked towards the window before looking around the room. Joe walked over to her and took her hands.

"So what do you think?"

"It's beautiful but we can't afford some place like this can we?"

"Well actually, we can. I asked my parents and yours and they'd be happy to lend us some money to put down a deposit."

Her heart lifted at this. They could buy their own house? Lauren suddenly threw her arms around Joe's neck. He rubbed her back and kissed her on the head.

"So are we putting in an offer?"

"I think so."

She laughed and looked up at Joe and kissed him. They walked hand in hand out of the room to find Maria.

* * *

Joe yawned as the TV show ended and looked at his watch. It was getting late, he looked down at Lauren and found she had fallen asleep. He rubbed her arm for a moment before looking around the room.

He couldn't believe in a few weeks he'd be moving out of this place. Joe had first moved in here with his friend and when he had moved on, Joe had lived here on his own for a while but then Lauren had started staring over and then finally moved in. Then it had all changed when the twins had arrived. He smiled as he thought this over.

Joe watched the TV absentmindedly for a while before he felt his eyes drooping. They couldn't sleep on the sofa all night so he knew he had to wake Lauren up.

"Lolo, we should go to bed."

He smiled as Lauren slowly looked up at him, her eyes still half closed. Joe tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her on her head. She looked at him for a moment before nodding and getting up. Once she was stood up, Joe stood up too and followed her as she shuffled towards their bedroom.

Lauren yawned although she didn't actually feel tired, there was so much they had to do before the baby arrived. She would prefer to move before so they could bring the baby home to the new house but they didn't even know if the current owner had accepted their offer yet. She was suddenly so worried. They'd have to pack everything up and clean the apartment before they moved out, maybe it would be better to wait until after the baby was born to move. They already had all the furniture for the new baby...they just needed to build it. The baby would be in a moses basket in their room when they were first born so maybe they could just about squeeze the five of them in here...

But it felt so amazing to think that they would soon be moving. To their own house. Lauren smiled at this thought as Joe turned off the light and they got in bed, she was still smiling as she fell asleep.

* * *

_A/N: Byyyeeee_


	6. Almost There

_A/N: Hey_

_starkidllamas-llama: Hehe yay! :')_

_I do not own the characters, they are based on members of Team StarKid. Any relationships implied are purely for the sake of the story._

_Enjoy._

* * *

**One Week Later**

Julia came to a stop outside of Lauren and Joe's apartment and turned back to smile at Jaime. Lauren and Joe weren't moving until after the baby arrived but they had started packing all of their things. Julia knocked on the door and they waited in silence for a moment.

"Are they not packing everything up a little early? What if they need anything?"

"You know what Lauren's like, and besides, once the baby's born they won't have time to do any packing."

She nodded in agreement with Jaime before they both turned to the door as there was movement from behind it. A moment later, Lauren opened the door and beamed at them.

"Hey guys! Thanks for coming to help!"

She smiled at Lauren; Julia could tell she was tired. There were dark circles under her eyes and she looked as if she had just woken up from a nap. However she was still smiling widely at them as she let them into the apartment. They walked into the sitting room where there were numerous boxes all half packed with various things.

"Joe's gone to buy more boxes so I've been bubble wrapping things."

Lauren sighed as she finished speaking. She rested one hand on her bump and used the other to rub her back. Her back was so sore. The baby was due in eight days and Lauren felt about ready to burst. She looked up at Jaime and Julia as she sensed them watching her.

"Tough day being pregnant?"

"More like tough week."

She laughed at her own joke before sighing. Julia and Jaime were smiling knowingly before Jaime came towards her.

"Why don't you sit down and we'll do some packing."

"I don't want to just sit and watch you guys."

She felt very strongly about that, she had asked them to come and help, not do all of the work. However she was very tired. Lauren mumbled in defeat before finally sitting down on the sofa. She hoped the baby came soon, she didn't think she could last much longer. Julia and Jaime set about packing up the books out of the bookcase. It didn't feel real that they would be leaving this apartment in a few weeks. The house they had gone to look at was theirs, now all they had to do was move in.

"So will we all be invited to a house warming party once you move in?"

"Of course!"

After a little while, Lauren felt rested enough to help her friends. She started wrapping up dinner plates which Julia had brought in from the kitchen cabinet. Having the three of them together felt just like the old times. They talked about everything, gossip, TV shows, things that didn't even matter but they mattered to them because it was the three of them. They all turned as there was the sound of a key in the lock. There were footsteps out in the hallway and then Joe appeared in the sitting room.

"Oh hey girls, thanks for coming to help."

Joe smiled at them before putting down the moving boxes he had bought. He played host and got everyone drinks before sitting down. For a moment he watched the girls pack up various things before deciding he better help. It was nice for them all to just talk and catch up. They all looked up as the wall phone rang. He jumped up to answer and found it was Brian and Meredith. Joe buzzed them in before telling the others the news.

"Have they brought Sami?"

"I think so."

The girls muttered excitedly until they heard a knock on the door. Joe went to answer the door and smiled as he was met by Brian and Meredith. Brian was carrying Sami in her little carrier and Joe quickly let them into the apartment. They all walked into the sitting and Brian and Meredith sat down. Joe put Katelyn down before going to get them drinks.

"So how are you finding Sami?"

Meredith pulled Sami out of her carrier before looking up at Jaime who had asked the question. Having Sami home was the greatest, it was tiring but it was amazing. She cradled her for a moment before looking up at them all.

"Okay, who wants to hold her?"

She smiled as Julia, Jaime and Lauren all squealed excitedly. Meredith finally chose Jaime and stood up to hand Sami over. She beamed as Jaime cooed over her. Sami was really doing well and Meredith couldn't be happier, everything was finally going right. However they all turned to Lauren as she suddenly winced. Lauren was rubbing her bump with her eyes closed.

"Are you okay Lo?"

Lauren opened her eyes as Joe spoke. He had moved to kneel down in front of her and taken her hand. She didn't know how she felt, she felt a little funny. For the past half hour or so, she had been getting pains. It hadn't exactly felt like contraction pains until the last one. Everyone was staring at her with worried expression on their faces.

"I'm fine, it's probably just Braxton hicks."

She didn't exactly believe this. Braxton hicks were supposed to be painless and only came once or twice a day but she had gotten quite a few in the past half hour. Lauren looked at Joe and saw he looked very concerned. What if she was actually in labour? Typical, just when everyone was here.

"I think we should get you to the hospital."

"I'm fine though."

"It'll be safer if we got you checked out."

She sighed. The last thing Lauren wanted to be doing was going all the way to the hospital when it didn't even feel like she was in labour. However as she looked around at her friends she saw they were all agreeing with Joe.

"I have the spare key you gave me with me. We can stay here and pack a few more things up for you and then lock the door when we leave."

She nodded at this before letting Joe help her up. It would be best to rule out it wasn't labour. Joe left the room to get her jacket and hospital bag whilst Lauren hugged all her friends. They all had words of encouragement but Lauren still felt so funny. Another pain rippled across her bump and she rubbed the stop. She'd been through this before and it just didn't feel like contractions. Lauren put on her jacket as Joe handed it to her and followed him over to the door.

"Well we'll keep you posted."

She tried to smile as Joe spoke but as she left the room, this smile fell. Why wasn't she excited, the baby was coming right? Then why did it feel like it wasn't.

Julia watched the door for a moment after she heard the sound of the front door shouting. She was excited at the fact that Lauren and Joe's baby might be born to today but this was overshadowed by the subdued expression she had seen on Lauren's face. Lauren hadn't seemed desperate to go to the hospital.

"Do you think she's actually in labour?"

"I don't know, Lauren didn't seem to think so."

She agreed with this before going back to bubble wrapping a stack of plates. Brian helped too and the four chatted about the prospect of the newest StarKid baby coming into the world.

* * *

**A few hours later**

"I'm sorry Lauren but the contractions you were feeling do seem to have turned out to be false labour. There's nothing more we can do but send you home. The baby is ready to be born but isn't ready to make their arrival just yet."

Lauren nodded at the doctor before watching him leave the room. She looked at Joe and saw he was looking back at her. He leant towards her and took her face in his hand. They were silent for a moment but Lauren could tell Joe was working out how to say something.

"I'm sorry I dragged you all the way here for a false alarm."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, like you said it's safer to be sure."

"But you sure weren't you."

She laughed at this and saw Joe looked relieved and smiled. They collected up her things and once she was discharged they headed out to Joe's car. Lauren text Julia to say it was a false alarm. It turned out she and the others had just been leaving their apartment so Julia was able to tell them. Lauren was sort of glad they were going back to an empty apartment as she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and have a nap. She gazed out of the window for a moment as they drove before turning to Joe.

"It just feels like this baby is never going to arrive."

"Of course they will, you can't stay pregnant forever."

She knew that was true but she still had this strange feeling that they were still in for a fairly long wait…

* * *

**2 Weeks Later**

Joe quickly stood up as Lauren shuffled into the room. He held his hand out to her and helped her sit down. Lauren sat down with a heavy sigh and closed her eyes. Joe sat next to her and in no time she had shuffled around so her head was in his lap. He stroked her hair and they sat in silence for a moment but this silence was suddenly broken as Lauren moaned and rolled over onto her back.

"How are you feeling?"

"I need this baby out of me right now."

He gazed into her large, chocolate brown eyes and smiled slightly. They were currently in the 41st week of pregnancy and seeing as pregnancy was only supposed to last for 40 weeks, there was clearly something not quite right. This baby just didn't want to be born, the doctors said there wasn't a reason why, the baby was head down in the right position but there was just no shifting them. He started rubbing his hand across Lauren's large, round pregnancy bump and sighed, the anticipation of waiting was almost killing him. He wanted to meet their baby! It was so quiet in the apartment what with the twins still being in Michigan.

"They'll come when they're ready."

"They're outstaying their welcome, that's what they're doing."

He laughed as Lauren glowered up at him. However he soon made her smile by pinching her nose. Lauren slowly closed her eyes as Joe stroked her cheek. Joe knew she had been finding these past few days really tough and he wished he could do more to help her but the only real thing that would help now would be for her to go into labour. He smiled slightly as he remembered walking into their bedroom yesterday to find Lauren sitting on the bed and explaining to her bump how nice the 'outside' world was. Joe felt that Lauren had hoped she could talk the baby out but it hadn't worked. They had tried everything that was supposed to naturally induce labour but nothing had worked. She was going to be medically induced in a few days but Joe knew Lauren didn't really want it to reach that point. Finally she opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"This baby is never coming is it?

"Of course it is, they're just going to need a little push along.

Lauren carried on looking up at Joe as she caught his hand and held their clasped hands to the bump. She could still feel the baby moving every so often, even though they were growing big now. The one thing Lauren wanted was to be comfortable again. It felt like she was carrying round a sack of potatoes and she had all but lost her sassiness. She yawned, it was getting late and she was suddenly so tired.

"Is little Lolo tired?"

She nodded her head and sat up as she felt Joe slowly pushing her up before standing up. Lauren watched him as he stretched before holding out his hand.

"Let's get you to bed."

She smiled as he helped her up. As they walked Lauren felt Joe's arms slip around her, she slowly came to a stop and her breath caught slightly as she felt his warm breath on her neck and then the soft touch of his lips as he kissed down it. After a moment she turned around and brought her lips up to his. Despite feeling so uncomfortable with the pregnancy, the touch of Joe's lips still had a calming effect on her and finally she pulled away and gazed up at him.

"We could try, one last time."

Lauren watched Joe as he slowly realised what she was talking about. There was one way to induce labour that most websites sweared by. However they had only tried it once or twice as if she was uncomfortable in everyday life, she was certainly uncomfortable during 'that'. Lauren held her breath as Joe lifted up his hand and took her face in it.

"It might not work again and I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"It can't hurt in trying and besides, I'm already uncomfortable."

Joe smiled and slowly brought his lips down to hers. He didn't want her to put herself at risk but he knew she'd try anything to induce labour herself and Joe had to admit, it would be nice for them to be the ones to induce it, instead of something medical. Finally he pulled away and slowly took her hand before leading her into their bedroom. He held Lauren to him and brought his lips to her, he brushed his tongue against her teeth and soon their tongues connected and entwined, Joe sat down on the bed and pulled her down on top of him.

* * *

Lauren smiled at Joe as he handed her a pyjama vest top which she put it on. She slipped under the bedcovers and sighed before smiling up at him. Joe was sat in the middle of the bed and stroked her cheek before leaning forward and kissing her.

"Feeling anything yet?"

"Nope, but they all say it takes a while."

She smiled as she spoke. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment before Lauren pulled back the covers and rested her hands on the bump. She rubbed the top where she could feel what she thought was a little foot. The bed jostled and she looked up as Joe lay down across the bed and propped himself up over her bump before tracing small circles on it with his free hand. She watched as he smiled down at it before speaking softly.

"Come on you, it's time to make your big entrance. There are a lot of people waiting to meet you."

She gazed at him as his eyes slowly came up to meet hers. Lauren was tired but it was nice to just spend time with Joe and maybe this would be her last night of being pregnant. Joe shuffled back up so he was lying next to her and wrapped his arm around her. She nestled into his arms and sighed happily.

"What are you sighing at?"

She looked up at him and smiled slightly. Lauren wasn't sighing in a bad way, she was just so happy, so contented. Joe was smiling back at her and kissed her lightly. After a moment she rested her head back on his chest and closed her eyes.

"I love you."

Joe's heart swelled as he heard Lauren whisper the words. He kissed her on the head and traced circles on her back.

"I love you too baby."

They lay in silence for a while and it wasn't long before he heard Lauren taking deeper and deeper breaths as she fell asleep. Joe wasn't even tired but he didn't want to leave Lauren so happily stayed with his arms wrapped around his little wife and listened to her soft breathing. He was happy she was finally getting some sleep so wouldn't have disturbed her for the world. At last, he felt himself getting sleepy and slowly, closed his eyes.

* * *

Lauren shot up in bed and put a hand on her bump. That had felt like a contraction, not like those pains she had had a few weeks ago. That had been a proper contraction. The baby was finally coming.

"Joe."

She shook his arm slightly and he moaned.

"Joe!"

"What?"

"The baby's coming!"

A second later she was looking into Joe's eyes as he sat up. He slipped his arm around her and stared at her.

"Are you sure?"

She was about to answer but then another contraction hit and she could only nod as the pain rippled through her. She watched as Joe jumped out of bed and pulled on some jeans and rooted for a t-shirt. Lauren groaned through another contraction. She pulled back the covers and slipped her legs out, she tried standing but the pain was pretty bad, this one was coming faster than the twins had. Joe threw her a pair of sweats which she pulled on over her shorts. Suddenly she was looking into Joe's eyes as he was kneeling next to her.

"Are you ready?"

Joe held her hand and rubbed the other across her bump with a smile as she smiled back and nodded. He helped her up and handed her a jumper which she put on. It was late January so it was cold and they had to wrap up. Excitement was setting in, this was it. In a few hours their little baby would come into the world. He picked up her overnight bag and took her hand before leading her out of the room.

He turned back around as Lauren stopped and leaned over slightly. Joe held her hand tightly as she moaned through another contraction.

"We'll get you to the hospital soon enough."

He smiled as a moment later she breathed out and nodded at him. Joe led her through the apartment and they stopped in the hallway. After taking Lauren's jacket off the hook and handing it to her, he pulled on his own jacket. They put on their shoes and Joe opened the door.

"Just think, soon we'll have all three of our little ones home."

With a big smile and a nod, Joe took her hand and led her out of the apartment. He locked the door before leading them to the elevator. In no time they were down on street level and heading over to the car. Joe put Lauren's duffle bag on the back seat before helping her in and getting in himself. They already had the new born car seat in the car so they were ready to go. Joe started the car and they set off.

Lauren tried looking straight as they drove. She groaned and tried to breathe through the contraction. It was icy so it felt like the journey was taking hours. The pain finally eased slightly and she pushed her head back into the head restraint and closed her eyes.

"Not far now."

She squeezed Joe's hand as he slipped it into hers. The pain was knocking her sick and it took everything she had to keep her breaths deep and even. How long did they have before the baby came? What if she didn't make it? Finally she opened her eyes just in time to see the car skid in a circle and stop on their side of the road.

"Joe!"

She screamed his name as he slammed on the brakes but the road was too icy for the car to stop so they seemed to spin in almost slow motion as they hurtled towards the car.

* * *

_A/N: I hope people are still reading this even if they're not reviewing…_

_Bye._


	7. Crashing Arrival

_A/N:_

_StarkidBecca: Well what is a story without a little drama!_

_P0tterFanatic: …yes._

_Iwanttobeamoderndancer: Sorry_

_JilyLove: This chapter will probably make you flip out even more…_

_Kate Beckett's Golden Snitch: Thanks!_

_starkidllamas-llama: Don't hate me too much!_

_MysteriousZebra: Aww thanks!_

_Cori Sullivan: Aww well thank you so much for reading!_

_FangirlForever123: All will be revealed…_

_narnian-starkid: Thank you!_

_Starkidsforever: Really?! Well that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, thank you! And I've had the car accident written for months and months now haha_

_Guest: Yay! Thank you!_

_Guest: Aww sorry!_

_I do not own the characters, they are based on members of Team StarKid. Any relationships implied are purely for the sake of the story._

* * *

Jeff opened his eyes as he heard movement in the bedroom. Denise seemed to be taking out all the things in her drawer of things and refolding them all. He sat up and yawned which caused her to look at him.

"Oh sorry, did I wake you?"

"No not all."

He guessed she knew he was probably lying but neither of them said anything as Denise came back over to the bed and sat down. They were about two months into the pregnancy now and she still didn't seem to be any happier. Jeff shuffled towards her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Any reason why you're reorganising everything?"

"I had nausea and then I couldn't sleep."

He nodded at this. Jeff wished there was something he could do but nausea was a side effect they had to go through. They sat in silence for a moment and Jeff smiled as Denise relaxed against him.

"You know what I could do with right now?"

"What?"

"A cheeseburger and a chocolate shake."

"But it's 1am."

"I know that! But I need a cheeseburger."

He laughed at this which caused Denise to turn around and look at him. She was smiling at him and Jeff couldn't help but smile back at her. He gazed at her for a moment before kissing her softly.

"Well I'm sure we can find some diner that's open."

Denise smiled at him before slowly standing up. They got dressed and left Jeff's apartment. She knew she had to just stay relaxed about the pregnancy. They were having a baby, it wasn't like the world was ending. Everything was going to be okay. Denise knew she would come around eventually or at least she hoped.

They got in Jeff's car and started driving towards a diner which Jeff said he thought was an all-night one. It was so quiet on the streets, the cold temperature keeping any would be night owls inside. Denise gazed out of the window as they drove. The thought of a baby was scary but it was also sort of exciting. They'd get to go shopping for everything they would need and go to scans and doctor's appointments. She had already been to her first appointment. This was all actually happening.

At last they made it to the diner and Jeff parked outside. They got out and went inside. The diner was completely empty but a cheery if slightly tired looking waitress greeted them and showed them to a table. Denise poured over the menu before choosing what she had come out here for, a cheeseburger and chocolate shake. Jeff chose the same and in no time they were tucking into their food.

"I hope I don't crave this all through the pregnancy."

"Yeah, we don't want a cheeseburger for a child."

She laughed at this before picking at her fries. Jeff was being so supportive, she had been worried how he would react but he was being so great with it all. It was like he knew exactly what to do to make her feel better, sometimes her would talk to her about how she was feeling but sometimes he would just stay silent and hold her. He really was great. Denise smiled at this and looked up at Jeff, he was busy reading the specials notice on the table so she went unnoticed. It was going to be okay…all because Jeff was here.

* * *

Joe slowly opened his eyes and winced at the pain in his head. Had they hit the other car? Suddenly Joe was aware of the smoke billowing from the bonnet, they must have hit something. He started to straighten up, his airbag hadn't engaged so he'd hit into the steering wheel. There was a horrific pain in his stomach and chest from where the wheel had dug into them and it was making him feel sick. However, as he slowly turned to look at Lauren, his blood ran cold and he forgot all about any injuries he may have. She was leaning against the side of the car and her eyes were closed, there was a nasty looking gash on her head. They had never turned the airbag back on in the passenger seat after having one of the twins' carriers in that seat so Lauren's airbag hadn't gone off either. Joe's mind went into overdrive as he leant across and took her face in his hands.

"Lolo, baby, please wake up."

He kept a hold of her face and tapped it gently until she slowly opened her eyes. Joe smiled out of relief and rubbed her cheek gently.

"Joe, the baby. We need to get to hospital."

Joe looked over his shoulder and out of the windscreen. For a moment the wind cleared the smoke and he saw they had hit into the side of another car. However he turned back to Lauren as she moaned. The baby was still coming. Her eyes were squeezed shut and when she finally opened them he saw they were full of fear.

"Just breathe, it's gonna be okay."

"I can't have the baby here."

Lauren tried to keep her breaths even but she was starting to panic. The pain was unbearable and she was scared. The contractions were closer together now and she screamed and squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't do this, she needed pain relief and a hospital. Tears fell down her face and her whole body was shaking. Suddenly she was looking right into Joe's eyes as he came close to her.

"Lo you can do this."

They both turned as they heard sirens in the distance. Lauren closed her eyes as Joe looked back at her and pressed his forehead to hers.

"See, there's help on its way and then before you know it we'll be back home with Rosie and Katelyn and this new baby."

She slowly nodded before opening her eyes. Joe smiled at her reassuringly but this smile faded as Lauren groaned with another contraction. Lauren gazed at Joe as he rubbed his hand over her bump. She was so scared however she was happy she wasn't going through this alone. Joe always made her feel so safe and Lauren was slightly comforted by this.

Joe carefully undid her seatbelt and let it slip off her. For the first time he noticed how pale she was. He felt her forehead, it was clammy and soaked with sweat. They both looked round as suddenly Lauren's door opened and a man looked in on them.

"Emergency services have arrived but there's a car on the other side of the one you hit and the woman's in a bad way so they're having to cut her out. Are you two both okay?"

"My wife's having a baby."

As if to verify this, he rubbed Lauren's arm as she cried through another contraction. Joe glanced back up at the man and saw his eyes were wide. The man stared at Lauren for a moment before nodding quickly.

"I'll go and tell them."

He nodded and watched the man leave before turning back to Lauren. Joe pulled her hair off her face and wiped her tears away. Lauren slipped her hand into his and he squeezed it.

"Joe it hurts."

Lauren was in so much pain. Surely the baby was going to be born soon. Joe stroked her cheek as she tried to keep breathing but it was so hard. Finally she looked up as an EMT came to the door. She smiled at them and Lauren tried to smile back.

"My name's Annie, what's yours?"

"Lauren."

"Okay Lauren, I'm just going to examine you. If you could just lean against your husband, I'll see where the baby's up to."

She carefully pulled herself round so her back was leaning against Joe. Joe put his arms around her and held her hands. Lauren gripped them tightly as Annie examined her. Finally she looked up at Lauren.

"You 8cm dilated. Are you getting the urge to push?"

She tried to steady her breathing as she slowly shook her head. There was no pushing pain yet but she only had 2cm to go. Annie shouted to her partner to get blankets.

"Can you not move me to an ambulance?"

"Sorry sweetie but we can't get the ambulance any closer and we can't let you walk without knowing your injuries first."

Joe kissed the top of Lauren's head as Annie spoke. He could feel her whole body shaking. Well this was certainly going to be a story to tell the grandkids. Lauren cried through another contraction and both Joe and Annie soothed her.

"Is this your first baby?"

"No, it's our third, we have twin girls too."

He smiled as he heard the warmth in her voice that she had whenever she spoke of the twins. Joe traced small circles on her hand. He watched as Annie looked up with a large smile on her face.

"So you're an old hand at this then!"

He laughed slightly at this. However the calm mood quickly shifted as Lauren suddenly squeezed his hands and cried through another contraction. Annie examined Lauren again before shouting to her colleague to bring blankets over.

"Okay Lauren, I think this baby is about ready to be born."

Lauren took a deep breath as Annie said this. She still hadn't felt the need to push but even before she could finish this thought, a sudden urge to push hit her. Having Joe's arms around her calmed her a little but without any pain relief, the pain was knocking her sick.

"I need to push."

"Okay the next time you get that feeling I want you to push as hard as you can for 10 seconds."

She nodded and then closed her eyes as the feeling hit her. Lauren gritted her teeth as she pushed for 10 seconds, she screamed as the pain ripped through her. Was she really giving birth in a car?

"You're doing really well Lauren. Keep going I can see the baby's head!"

"Joe…Joe she sees the head!"

Lauren felt a little delirious so felt this was why she felt the need to repeat what Annie was saying. She glanced at Joe as he kissed her neck. He smiled at her encouragingly.

"You're doing great baby."

She nodded at this and pushed for another 10 seconds as the feeling came. Lauren groaned and then tried to catch her breath as 10 seconds past. Closing her eyes, she pushed through each contraction, determined to get through this.

"Okay Lauren! One more push and you'll have done it!"

Joe held his breath as he felt Lauren tense and then suddenly cries were filling the air. He laughed in relief and shock as Annie held up their little baby.

"It's a boy."

"A boy Lo, little Edward Joseph."

Annie cut the cord and cleaned the baby up before wrapping him in a blanket and handing him to Lauren. Joe kissed her neck as he looked down at their little boy. Lauren turned and looked at him with a large smile on her face. He pressed his forehead against hers as she closed her eyes. Joe lifted up his hand and held Lauren's face in it.

"You did it baby."

He stroked her hair and listened to her breathing. They were okay. Joe looked back down at Eddie and rubbed his head. His heart was racing but Joe felt so relieved. His wife and baby boy were okay! However Joe didn't feel well at all...twisting sideways so Lauren could lean against him had intensified the pain in him stomach and chest and now he could barely breathe. Lauren was now sat back properly in her seat and a police officer was holding Eddie whilst Annie examined Lauren's neck for any damage. Joe had sat back properly in his own seat but he felt so funny, he couldn't catch his breath and when he lifted up his hand to his mouth to cough, he was surprised to see there was blood on it... He'd coughed up blood?

"Joe?"

Joe turned and looked at Lauren. She was staring at him wide eyed and so was Annie. He tried to answer but suddenly he was slumping forwards and everything went black.

"Joe!"

Lauren tried to lean over to him but Annie held her back. Annie was shouting over to someone but Lauren didn't listen to what she was saying. Not Joe, there couldn't be something wrong with Joe. Another EMT had opened Joe's door and was checking his pulse. Lauren was staring intently at him until finally he took his fingers away.

"He has a pulse but we need to get him to hospital."

She didn't know what to do. Lauren wanted to stay with Joe but before she knew it, they were preparing to lift her out of the car and into a gurney. It felt like there were swarms of people around Joe as they carefully pulled him out onto a spinal board. The police officer handed Eddie to her and Annie had obviously found her bag somewhere and had placed it on her legs. Then Lauren was being wheeled away from the car and she couldn't see Joe anymore. She was put into an ambulance and Annie got in and closed the doors.

"Is Joe going to be okay?"

"They'll be able to help him at the hospital sweetie."

"But do you think he'll be okay?"

Annie didn't say anything and instead busied herself with making sure Lauren's gurney was securely strapped in before sitting down and strapping herself in.

"We don't know the full extent of Joe's injuries yet so try not to jump to any conclusions."

Lauren nodded before looking down at Eddie. He was staring around the ambulance, his blue eyes wide. As the ambulance turned its sirens on and started moving, he whimpered but stopped as Lauren snuggled him close.

"What are your twin girls called?"

She looked up at Annie and saw she was watching her with a small smile.

"Rosie and Katelyn, they're 15 months. Joe and I got engaged the day they were born and then eight months later we got married."

She wasn't really sure why she was suddenly telling Annie all this but it was calming her down to talk about something other than the car accident. Lauren gazed down at Eddie as he gargled before yawning.

"Ah, so is this little one a Honeymoon Baby then?"

Lauren laughed at Annie's comment as she had obviously done the math, she nodded before looking back at Eddie. Her and Joe's honeymoon had been nine months ago, they had almost been married a year and now what was going to happen? What if Joe…didn't make it? No, she couldn't think like that, like Annie said they couldn't jump to conclusions.

They made it to the hospital and Lauren and Eddie were admitted, she said goodbye to Annie and watched her go. Eddie was taken to the baby unit and once the gash on her head had been seen to, Lauren was taken to a recovery room in the labour unit. Eddie was brought back to her and for a while, Lauren just held him. No one here knew anything about Joe but they said they would tell her when any news got sent through.

A nurse came in and suggested Lauren try nursing Eddie. She nodded, surprised she hadn't thought to earlier. The nurse helped her through it and in no time she was doing it. Afterwards, Eddie seemed to be getting sleepy so Lauren placed him in the small cot. Lauren was glad Annie had got her bag from the back of the car so at least she could change into her pyjamas. She managed to get a diaper, baby grow and little hat on Eddie before he blissfully fell asleep. Lauren watched him for a moment before getting back into bed.

The ward was quiet, all the other patients were sleeping and yet she had never felt more awake. Joe was somewhere in this hospital. She needed to know he was okay. Lauren sighed before pulling her bag towards her and unzipping it, she was sure she had dropped her phone in it before leaving and smiled as she finally found it. Who did she call? Everyone would be sleeping. However she happened to check facebook and saw Denise had posted something about midnight cheeseburgers about a half hour ago. There was a good chance she would still be awake. Lauren took a deep breath before making the call.

Denise had just gotten back into bed when her phone rang. It was Lauren. She frowned slightly before answering the call. Jeff had just come back into the room but quietly got into bed as he saw her on the phone.

"Hey Lauren what's up?"

"Hi Deeds, I'm glad you're still awake. I'm in the hospital."

She gasped at this. Why was Lauren at the hospital? Was the baby coming? What was she doing calling her if she was in labour?

"Are you okay? Is the baby coming?"

"I'm okay and the baby is too, he was born about half an hour ago."

There was something not quite right about Lauren's tone of voice. She had just said her baby had been born and yet Lauren sounded so emotionless. And then Denise heard Lauren sniff. Something was very wrong.

"Lo what's wrong?"

"We were in a car accident on the way to the hospital. The baby was born there and he's fine but Joe was really badly hurt."

Lauren suddenly burst into tears. All she could think about was the sight of blood spluttering out of Joe's mouth. He had to be okay, she needed him to be okay. She could hear Denise trying to calm her down on the other end of the line but Lauren couldn't calm down. She was so scared.

"Lauren you need to listen to me, where are you right now?"

She took a deep breath and told Denise which hospital she was in.

"Okay Jeff and I are on our way."

"But it's outside visiting hours."

"Well then we'll try and find out about Joe."

She wiped away her tears and nodded even though Denise couldn't see. They spoke a few moments more before Lauren ended the call. She gazed into space but came back to earth as Eddie started crying. Lauren leant over and pulled him into her arms.

"Hey hey hey! What's all this crying for?"

She couldn't help but smile as Eddie stared up at her in awe. Lauren sat back on the bed and continued to gaze at him. It wasn't long before Eddie was falling back to sleep but she knew she wouldn't be sleeping, not until she knew about Joe.


End file.
